Overrated
by sapphyreangel
Summary: "The powers that be call it my 'reintegration into society' but I suppose house arrest is a better term." John struggles to find peace with his Pyro persona but being back at Xavier's makes it difficult to do so. ON HOLD
1. Here We Are Again

Hi all, this idea has been taking up space in my head for a while so I had to do something about it. I have no idea when i'll update again or how the story will progress. Please review and give me feedback! :)

* * *

Blowing his hair so it would stop falling into his face, he briefly noted that he ought to get a haircut but it was immediately filed away in some part of his mind as unimportant. Right now what was tugging for his attention was his 'reintegration into society' as his parole officer had termed it.

Oddly he was going back to the only place that was being accepted by people of his kind and that he was not allowed to step out of the grounds of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. What kind of reintegration was that? John had snorted at his parole officer who had given the youth one of his famous bland smiles.

"Welcome back John," Storm had said crisply as they walked down a hallway, "We had to reassign you a new room, given that your old room is unsuitable."

Dr. McCoy, the blue furry, with a lack of a better word, beast, had continued where Storm had stopped, "The state has, temporarily, placed you in the Institute's care while you fulfil your, ah, probation. As your parole officer would have mentioned, you are to complete your senior year here and there would be a review of your probation at the end of the school year."

He balked at the electronic device that Dr. McCoy had embarrassedly pulled out.

"Unfortunately while the courts accepted moving you to Xavier's, there were a few stipulations that left our hands tied. You will have to wear it at all times so you can be tracked and to minimize the use of your fire manipulation."

The Pyro inside of him bristled at that comment. It was a sore point with Pyro that he needed a fire source to actually do anything.

Storm stepped in once again. "You are to attend classes as per normal, mealtimes are taken in the dining hall and your curfew is ten sharp. Dinner is served between six to seven-thirty until then, you are free to wander around."

The two adults had disappeared after seeing him settled in. There was a box sitting on the study desk and another one on the floor near his cupboard. Closing the door, he hurried scavenged through them. No dice, they had been true to their word and had confiscated all of his lighters.

Biting back a sigh, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Coming back would have not been his choice. Jail or a juvenile detention centre, he could handle but Xavier's? He wasn't stupid. There had been some looks of fear from some of the students when he had been waiting outside the Professor's old office, listening to Storm, Beast and Wolverine arguing.

Chucking the boxful of clothes into his cupboard and tipping the rest of his belongings into the deep desk drawer, John decided to head down to the library. It was, after all, his second most favourite place in this stupid pile of bricks.

He had tried to lose himself in one of those dusty old books that had sat dourly on a shelf in the cosy corner that had mismatched furniture and an installed window seat at the bay window. It was probably around four, judging by the way the light was in his eyes when he had first attempted to settle on the couch opposite the window.

There had been a frightened kid or two who had scurried around him trying to retrieve a book or whatnot. Apparently his reputation had preceded him that even kids that he had never met were afraid of him. John scowled over it; Pyro was gleeful at that revelation.

He had a nice half an hour to himself when he heard a large burst of noise coming to the corner he had holed himself in. Mentally he steeled himself for anything.

* * *

It was one of those days in their relationship. Bobby had to bite back an annoyed sigh as he trudged behind the large chattering group with his sullen girlfriend by his side. For some weird reason or another, Marie had agreed to a study session with some of the other students today which meant Bobby could sit quietly with her for awhile and then fake a headache and leave. Maybe he could even convince Kitty to join him. Straight away his mind shot the idea down, that would be courting trouble.

Rumours had swirled that Bobby and Kitty were secretly seeing each other way before the deaths of the Professor, Dr. Grey and Mr. Summers. Rogue had made it worse when she upped and left to get the cure before returning "back to him".

It was difficult trying to maintain friendships and keep his girlfriend happy. Back when she was untouchable, Marie had been more laidback and a tad more friendly. Now she hung around him possessively and rarely talked with the others, especially after what he now termed The Incident.

He envied the two other students who filled up the rest of the X-Men squad. Kitty had bloomed with the new recruits. Jubilee, Sam Guthrie and Danielle Moonstar had widened her circle and even the shy, almost reclusive Colossus had befriended the only other older mutant, Remy LeBeau.

The group had stopped instead of grabbing their choice seats which puzzled Bobby until he heard a faint gasp from Kitty and then, "John?"

Immediately he had pushed his way through the group, ignoring the annoyed "Hey!" from Jubilee –he'd apologise later. Lo and behold, John was lazily reading a book on the overstuffed armchair that faced them.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, he could feel a slight drop in temperature in the air surrounding him.

John had given a lazy grin, "Reading of course. That is what one would do in a library I would think."

Bobby could see someone inch to the side but he put his hand out to stop that person. "You know what I mean."

John had stood up and placed the book back on the shelf behind him. "The powers that be call it my 'reintegration into society' but I suppose house arrest is a better term. Now excuse me, I feel like a nap before dinner."

He strolled towards them, headed to exit the library. Bobby continued glaring at him when John had stopped at the big group. "Hey Kitten, your hair looks better down."

Angry steps covered the distance before Bobby blocked the petite brunette from John's view. He gestured at the library doors. "Leave Kitty alone."

John had given another irritating smirk before strutting out. Kitty's clique had taken her back into the fold as an annoyed and confused expression spread across her pretty face. Peter and Remy had escorted the group into the recently vacated corner but Marie was still standing with her hands firmly across her chest, looking fairly pissed off.

Oh boy, Bobby thought as Marie jerked her head at Kitty before striding out of the library, her dual-coloured hair flying out behind her. This was Bobby's cue to follow her and try to defuse the bomb that was Marie.


	2. Losing Ground

hi all! I am so happy that the story was pretty well-received. I'm sorry I took so long; work and studies and whatnot. Anyway, cheers to the second chapter! :)

hayley - Here it is! Hope its as good as the first chapter.

mlbmorbid7 - I love Kiotr first and foremost but Kyro is my fave pairing for the movies. :)

fallingstar1011 - *blushes* that was the sweetest compliment I've ever heard from a stranger. :p

PinkWhiteDiamond - Sorry for the delay! It is a little longer. I'm used to stopping at around 1k - 1.5k words for a chapter. I feel like I'm over doing it if I continue anymore than that.

As always, please review y'all!

* * *

Coming back to the Institute had its pros and cons. While she and Bobby could finally have a normal relationship and the fact that she could actually interact with people without hurting them, there were drawbacks to her return.

Although she had heard numerous complaints about the other students' mutant abilities, they were proud of their gifts and Marie had gone and done the ultimate sin –getting the cure. Storm had allowed her to stay on but the comments that bounced around got to Marie at times. It didn't help that her boyfriend wasn't standing up for the choice she had made.

That brought her to her current train of thought. The last year or so, and particularly the last couple of months before she got the cure, had been stressful and trying for everyone. Marie supposed it was partially her fault in pushing Bobby away which led to Bobby seeking out Kitty at nearly every turn. It had been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back when she caught Bobby and Kitty having a 'private' and intimate moment by the fountain and she had decided to get the cure once and for all.

That had changed everything about the relationship she had with Bobby. To Marie, being able to finally touch someone without killing them or to throw on weather-appropriate clothes without having to worry about accidentally brushing against someone and knocking them out for a couple of hours was a very big deal. She rejoiced in having proper intimate moments that she had once given up on but Bobby had been less enthusiastic than she had hoped he would be.

"Marie!" Bobby pulled her to a stop in one of the alcoves.

Rogue glared at him and crossed her arms, delighting in being able to wearing sleeveless tops. "What tha heck is wrong with ya Bobby?" Rogue shoved a handful of that delightful Southern accent in her voice.

At least Bobby had the decency to look embarrassed but Marie had disappeared and Rogue was the one who was confronting him now.

"I overreacted, Marie. I didn't mean to, I saw Pyro and then, I just," He looked searchingly into her eyes before pressing his lips against hers.

Marie had softened at the look Bobby was giving her and allowed herself to melt into the kiss. They had only kissed properly twice in the last year but ever since she had gotten the cure, Marie had taken advantage of giving and receiving just as many kisses as she wanted from Bobby.

"Let's go back and join the others," Bobby had said almost immediately when they broke apart, "I don't trust John."

Something niggled at her when he said that but Marie let it slide. She did enjoy some girl talk that she had been afforded whenever she and Bobby hung out with the others.

* * *

When Kitty had first arrived at the Institute, she had been a shy slip of a girl that the other students took little notice of. Scott had initially dismissed her as a potential X-Man, he had felt that her ability to merely phase through objects, while it was useful for espionage, was merely a defensive power.

It was Storm and Wolverine who had seen the potential in her. Wolverine had pushed her harder than he pushed the other students during their trainings and even took her under his wing. It had been a coincidence that Storm had caught Kitty combining her training in both ballet and martial arts during one of Kitty's insomnia-induced practice sessions. The next meeting, she had pushed and advocated for Kitty to be part of the X-Men. Two weeks later, Kitty had her trial run in the Danger Room before she was given a place in the X-Men squad.

While she allowed her ex-boyfriend, Peter, and Remy to be a bit protective over her, she found herself growing annoyed when Bobby tried to establish himself as the leader and attempted to block John from talking to her.

It annoyed her. Less than a month ago, she would have said that Bobby was her best friend but best friends don't dump one another for a relationship, neither do they pretend that their alleged best friend didn't exist unless stated otherwise. She would have told him but the scowling expression on Marie's face was enough to stop her –Marie didn't deserve the humiliation.

Instead she pretended to look confused but she couldn't stop the blush that spread across her cheeks over John's comment. John left right after that and Kitty was left to contemplate.

She had genuinely like John before he had left. Outwardly he was brash and aloof but the real John was reflective and sombre. Despite the grades he got in school, John was one of the few people she found, other than the adults, who were capable of holding a decent conversation which didn't revolve around cartoons, gossip or something equally mundane.

They once had a discussion on what made a mutant's power an asset or a liability and had discussed Scott's strategy. John had dragged her along to find Mr. Summers before questioning Mr. Summers' authority –which led to John getting two weeks detention and her; a stern lecture. Kitty's lips twitched into a smile at the memory. She had hung out with him a handful of times after that before he upped and left to join Magneto's cause.

Although she was only sixteen, she had skipped two grades back in Deerfield which meant she was in the same class as John and Marie. There were a handful of stragglers, like Peter, Bobby and Remy –all three who ought to be in college or working but were forced to hide out at Xaviers'. Peter had been recruited by Ororo to teach art and Russian this year while Remy was teaching French and on Tuesday nights, he taught the younger members of the X-Men team the basics of picking locks and whatnot. Kitty had questioned the ethics behind it but Wolverine insisted they needed the knowledge if another emergency arises. Nobody could argue after that.

"Half-pint!" Mr. Logan warned.

Kitty nodded as she focused on the task at hand. Today's training was a fairly routine one. She, Bobby and Colossus had to stop a rogue mutant while herding the innocent bystanders to safety.

The three of them huddled together for a quick plan. If they could handle this, maybe Mr. Logan would allow them to leave early today. "Colossus, throw everything you've got at him. I'll try to swoop in from above." Bobby instructed.

"Da." The metal giant made the tiniest glance at Kitty.

Kitty frowned. "And what will I do? Stand around and look pretty?"

Bobby hesitated. "Just get the people out of danger. And don't mess up."

He might as well have slapped her face. Kitty's eyes narrowed. "I mess up? Bobby, the last two simulations we have gone through, I had to A – save your ass and B – help Peter salvage the situation. Is this deliberate? Just because Marie's back, you think you need to abuse our friendship just to appease her and quash the rumours?"

Kitty could feel something wet on her cheeks and she knew the dam of emotions had spilled over. All that pent up hurt and anger had found its way out. "I don't know about you, Bobby, but I think you're hung up on some sick fantasy that you can't see how much you're hurting me, Marie and everyone else involved in your twisted mind!"

She felt rather than heard Wolverine approach them. He glared at the small group of youths, "Half-pint, either you hit the showers or you can practice with me," He jabbed in the direction of the practice hall that they usually duelled.

Kitty was angry for losing her cool just like that. She could see the concern with just a slight tinge of disappointment in Mr. Logan's eyes as he waited for her reply. A practice session with the mutant, codenamed the Wolverine, was the last thing she needed. "I'll hit the showers," she said softly as she tugged off her gloves and headed out of the Danger Room.

Peter had already powered down while Bobby was still spluttering over her last comment. Wolverine had already turned his attention to them. "Forty laps 'round the property, Ice boy. Might clear yer head a little. Tin man, weight room."

A smile threatened to break out on her face when she heard Bobby groan and try to get the Wolverine to rethink his decision. If it was one thing Kitty could be sure of Mr. Logan was his protectiveness over his 'little girls', aka Marie, her and Jubilee, there was no way Bobby was going to talk his way out of Mr. Logan's blacklist, at least for the foreseeable future.


	3. Wasn't Too Hard To Figure You Out

Gosh. This came to me when I was like in a half-stoned daze. I hope you'll all enjoy it!

Hayley - Bet you didn't expect chapter 3 up this fast right? I enjoy writing this so much but Kyro-wise, I don't think there's much going on the romance front so far.

* * *

Thankfully the knowledge of the little showdown in the Danger Room was limited to Wolverine, Peter, Kitty and possibly the adults at the Institute. The rest of the school only knew that Bobby had typically pissed Wolverine off and had to pay for it.

He was not as delusional as what Kitty had made him out to be but her words had stuck in his mind and he found himself wondering if that was how the other students saw it too. Truth be told, he had no idea where Kitty stood with him –friend, crush, teammate. The lines were blurred when he was with her. Marie, on the other hand, was much simpler. She was a young woman that he liked and was currently dating.

"Ah'm going home during break," Marie's voice broke into his musings.

Bobby looked at his girlfriend. The sundress had a flattering cut but it just wasn't her. Naturally he kept silent, he wasn't stupid enough to tell her anything that could set her off. Neither did he feel inclined to reply to her statement. After all, everyone at 'Mutant Manor' knew that the Drakes had more or less disowned their younger son.

"Muh mom called me the other day. Said she wanted me ta come home. And Ah said yes since I should go see 'em and how Cody is. Ah got lots of explaining to do." She continued, her eyes not leaving his face.

Bobby felt bad for being jealous. At least when his powers had developed, it was easy to hide until he had found the Institute and promptly lied to his parents about wanting to attend a prestigious boarding school upstate. Marie's former powers had activated and nearly killed a boy she had liked. It spooked her and nearly everyone else and she had fled in shame.

"How long will you be gone?" Bobby nearly slapped his head at his stupidity.

Marie gave him an odd look. "Just for Christmas. Ah'll be back before New Year's."

Christmas was another sore point. The list had been going round for those who would be staying behind for Christmas. So far it looked like Bobby and Pyro were the only two who would be stuck at the Institute.

"Hey guys!" Jubilee stopped in front of them.

Bobby muttered a quick greeting before pretending to turn back to watch whatever show the television was playing while Marie nodded her head, her face a little guarded.

"Me, Dani and Kit are having a little girls' session in a bit and I thought wouldn't it be nice to invite Marie? So I went to look for you. Do you want to join us?" Jubilee smiled at the older girl.

"Sure. Okay." Marie agreed.

Bobby was a little surprised at how fast she had agreed. But that meant he would be able to slip away and brood for a couple of hours without Marie getting cross at him. She quickly gave him a kiss before walking away with the chatty Asian girl.

He quickly switched off the telly before heading outside. It was getting chilly outside which meant that Breakstone Lake would be fairly, if not entirely, deserted. Careful not to bump into Wolverine on the way out, he slowly trudged up the pathway to the lake.

A short peal of laughter stopped him in his tracks. He was fairly certain that it was Kitty. He hurried towards the lake, hoping to catch her. He was surprised though, to find Kitty with Pyro, both looking very chummy. Something akin to jealousy and envy boiled in his veins.

Pyro was the one who noticed him first. The smirk on Pyro's face grew bigger. "Oh, look, we've got an audience."

* * *

There was an etching on the wall behind the bed's headboard to count down the number of days to his review. He had returned in early October and now November was but a few days away. His parole officer would visit him sometime after his exams and together with Storm and Beast, they would discuss his 'stay' at the Institute and whether he was better off at some high-risk jail.

"What are you thinking about?" The voice was soft and trusting, unlike most of the people he had to face daily.

John opened his eyes to see Kitty, clad in her cute pink sweater and dark denim jeans, watching him with unreadable eyes. "Being trapped here at the Institute. My review."

Surprisingly the only two people in the Institute who would actually hang out with him were Kitty and Wolverine. Wolverine had grunted something about second chances while Kitty just embraced his return, almost like he was the prodigal son. So he sought out her companionship as often as he could. Only a mad person would actually think of finding the Wolverine for company.

To John, it was ironic that their personalities seemed to imitate their powers. John had been stereotyped into the misunderstood, uncaring hoodlum in the making until Kitty had walked through the walls he had around him and gave him a taste of what real friendship was like.

He had once told her this and then admitted he had nothing to give her. She had laughed and pooh-poohed him. His fiery spirit and wit had drawn her out of her shell, influencing her to find the passion and inspiration in the life she led.

"Kit," He knew he was the only one who called her that, "Why are you here?"

Kitty blinked then evasively avoided his gaze. "You know why we're here, John," She allowed her hand to phase through the earth before withdrawing her hand and unphasing it.

She knew what he meant so he pushed harder. "All of this, Kit," He waved in the vague direction of the large, sprawling mansion.

"Professor Xavier brought us here to learn how to use our powers responsibly in hopes that humans and mutants can learn to co-exist."

John snorted and was tempted to roll his eyes as well. Kitty sound like she was reciting from something she had heard or read of. He didn't believe it, it was the reason he had left.

Kitty placed a hand on his arm. "John? Let's not talk about this. Not, not today."

He had willingly changed the subject and he had even thrown in a poor imitation of Bobby and Rogue's recent argument and kiss and make up drama, which Kitty had tried to stifle her laughter but failed, when he spotted someone step into his peripheral vision.

His grin widened once he confirmed the person's identity. Bobby had fallen off Kitty's list of favourite people for the time being and he was going to milk it for all its worth.

Kitty's head had snapped up, nearly hitting his chin. If Kitty was anything like her namesake, she would spitting at him, claws out and eyes narrowed into slits but the human Kitty merely nodded in acknowledgement of Bobby's presence.

"Uh, the girls are looking for you. Something about girl talk?" Bobby had offered up as a way of explaining his appearance.

Kitty looked alarmed as she got up before offering John a hand up and yanking him to his feet. He purposely pulled her closer and whispered, "See you at dinner."

Predictably Kitty had flushed whether due to their close contact or the presence of others watching them, he couldn't tell but Bobby looked angry enough that it didn't matter. She hurried off without a word to either of the males.

John watched her for a moment before giving Bobby a conspiratorial smirk. It was so easy to push Bobby's buttons. "I suppose ol' Roguey didn't know you went in search of a lost Kitten."

"Shut up," Bobby said tersely, "Just stay away from Kitty. She doesn't need losers like you."

John's laugh was mirthless. "And what Kitty really needs is an immature boy who can't make up his mind about which girl he wants, doesn't understand the meaning of commitment and isn't ready to lead?"

"There's nothing between me and Kitty." Bobby yelled.

John raised an eyebrow. "Did I say it was you?" Bobby was silent, "You're pathetic. Do you really think that you and Rogue will be the next Dr. Grey and Cyclops with Kitty playing the role of Wolverine? Can you lead the next batch of mutants like Cyclops or Wolverine does? No one likes it better than me when you, the self-proclaimed golden boy, comes crashing and burning. And believe me, when it happens, I'll be there to watch it."

Pyro allowed his words to sink in before ambling off. He had an hour or so to kill before dinner and he had kids to intimidate in the TV room.


	4. Tomorrow's Always A Mystery

I'm baaaaaack! I've been having problems trying to make the chapters feel less disjointed but I can't really say that I've succeeded. So, readers, please give me some well-needed advice or comments. Enjoy!

hayley - Thanks. I hope this chapter meets your expectations.

mlbmorbid7 - Here's the next chapter!

* * *

One observation that Kitty can clearly make ever since she arrived at the Institute was that mutants certainly had an above average percentage of good looking people. Perhaps it was some genetic offering for the abilities that would outcast them from the rest of society, she had mused. There were prime examples everywhere –Headmistress Munroe, Rogue, Professor Grey. Even the men were doing well – Logan, Peter, Remy.

When she was fourteen and having come to that theory, it had saddened her that the good looking genes had bypassed her. Many a times, she had written in her diary about how depressing her mousy hair, plain brown eyes and boyish figure were when she was surrounded by goddess-like and curvaceous beauties and how the handsome men of the manor would never notice her unattractive self.

Since then, her instinct with boys and men alike was to blush, stay calm and coherent and focus hard on not phasing through the floor. Back when she and Peter were dating, they had been making out in his room when she accidentally phased four floors down into the basement. Logan had this amused grin all night after retrieving her and escorting her back upstairs. She had been mortified about the incident for weeks.

In all honesty, she had only one boyfriend in her entire sixteen years but unlike her other friends, she was in no hurry to jump into another relationship. Maybe it was the typical old soul in a young body that her mother had joked about her only daughter possessing but she was much more content sitting at the side lines.

Which was begging the question –why did it matter to her what John said? That very thought caused her cheeks to burn. Kitty shook her head. Enough, she was a sensible girl; there really was no sense in second guessing someone else's motives.

"Miss Pryde." The dry, semi-amused voice cut through the class, interrupting Kitty's inner monologue.

She snapped her head up and gave a weak smile at Hank, or the Beast, as he was known. He had quit his position in council once he found a mutant of similar interests to take over his spot in the council and had joined the Institute to fulfil Charles Xavier's dream. "Sorry," She offered meekly.

Hank gave a quick but stern smile; hard to see it on his furry face but Kitty dutifully took notes till class ended. It was embarrassing enough to get caught daydreaming once, she wouldn't risk it again.

Kitty shuffled through the articles of clothing in her closet. It was Teens Night and since she had missed last week's outing to finish up a paper, she was determined to have twice the fun tonight.

Jubilee had already gotten dressed in a pretty yellow dress with matching flats and was chattering nineteen to the dozen as Kitty pulled out another piece of clothing, pulling it over her head and glancing in the mirror.

"Yes." Jubilee said satisfied at Kitty's current choice.

Kitty's red spaghetti strap top brought out the natural but faint red streaks in her hair while the tight fitting blue jeans , black gladiator heels and a watered down version of Jubilee's make-up made her look older than her sixteen years of age.

She tried to recall which adult was chaperoning tonight's outing but failed. She was sure it wasn't Ms Munroe though. Ms Munroe would have asked to remove the heavy make-up and reconsider her clothing choices – she didn't believe in children wanting to act older than their age, especially not after the Professor, Dr Grey and Mr Summers' deaths.

Thankfully the chaperones was Logan and Remy. While Logan didn't look too pleased with his fellow chaperone, he instructed the eleven students to meet them back at the X-van by 10p.m. before disappearing himself.

"You look really pretty, Kit… Want to catch a film?" John asked, his eyes betraying his blasé tone.

Kitty bit her lip as she glanced at Jubilee, they had planned on going to the teen club a block away. Jubilee shrugged as she flagged for some of the other students to wait for her, "I'll meet you at Alexandra's later?"

Giving Jubilee a grateful look, Kitty hurried off with John, mentally scolding herself for looking so eager. She glanced up at the taller mutant who offered her his arm. Slipping her arm into his, she felt something in her beginning to burn. Oh, she knew. There would never be anyone who would measure up to St. John Allerdyce.

* * *

It took a while before she could stop glaring at the pretty, petite brunette and a further few more girls' sessions before Marie finally warmed up to Kitty. She had briefly known the child prodigy back before Pyro's disappearance and Dr. Grey's sacrifice but Kitty had come to her attention mainly because everyone had pointed Kitty as her boyfriend's then main squeeze despite she and Bobby becoming a couple.

Kitty had been firm and remained unfazed during Rogue's rough treatment of her and even allowed Marie to fire away if only to clear up any lingering doubts. It was clear though, that Kitty had no inkling of an interest of Bobby –in fact, it was more like the young teen disliked him very much. She made a mental note to pry more information out of Bobby.

"Sorry Jubes but Ah prefer fudge brownies."

Her statement was met with Kitty and Rahne's cheers while Jubilee groaned as they shuffled around the large, industrial-sized kitchen, searching for the specific ingredients for their brownie-making session. Being house bound had its merits; it brought the people living in Xavier's Institute to not only get to know each other but to form strong bonds.

If Marie was to be truthful, she was glad and relieved that she finally found acceptance within the teenage mutant community. While she still had her fair share of haters, Marie found the days more bearable as she was able to sought any of the three girls if Bobby was not around.

"Chéri."

Oh crap. Marie scowled as she whirled around only to be face to face with red on black eyes. "Whaddaya want, swamp rat?" She spat out.

She wasn't sure why but she had taken an instant disliking to the Louisiana native. She had been rather charmed by his 'devil may care' attitude at first but she put up a cold front and since then, the young man, whose famous name was the Diable Blanc, had persistently attempted to annoy her.

"'Ello mon joli chaton," He turned to greet Kitty who had rolled her eyes and waggled her fingers to greet Remy.

Marie felt a stab of annoyance before chastising herself. She had Bobby now, there was no reason for her to be jealous of Remy and Kitty talking. She stiffly turned away and plugged in the eggbeater.

"There's nothing going on between me and Remy you know."

She nearly jumped at Kitty's sudden presence at her right elbow. Marie glanced at Jubilee and Rahne who were busy at the island counter. Remy had disappeared. "Ah don't know what ya talkin' about."

Something flashed across Kitty's face but it was gone before Marie could read it. The young brunette stepped back and nodded, moving to join Jubilee and Rahne.

At that point, Marie felt wrong footed. She hadn't done anything yet here she was feeling a little bothered and guilty over feeling jealous about Kitty and Remy. It wasn't like she was in love with Remy right?


	5. Everything But The Truth

Ugh. Reality called and obviously held my attention for the last few weeks. Mind you, its about to hold me hostage again from next Wednesday all the way to mid-October so just a warning that I may not update until after that. On with the replies!

Someone mailed me but requested anonymity so I'll just answer the questions.

Why I swap between their names and their aliases - Its a sign of respect/defensiveness/formality/distancing.

Example 1 - Between John/Pyro and nearly the rest of the cast - He doesn't see them as friends or comrades, just people he's forced to tolerate with exceptions like Kitty, whom he gets along with, and Wolverine and Storm, whom he genuinely respects.  
Example 2 - Rogue/Marie and John/Pyro situations. John and Marie are the more 'human' side of them while Rogue and Pyro were the names they adopted. Much like a mask, their personalities are a little different with different people and/or depending on the issues they handle.

What's with Wolverine and the girls - Um. I know Kitty and Jubilee have a father/mentor-daughter/student relationship with him in the comics and Rogue and Wolverine in cartoons and the movies so I just threw down together. Wolverine hates anyone who will hurt the three of them and we know how that goes...

KyroxIsxSmexy - Thanks! Sorry about the delay but its finally here.

* * *

Young love was nauseating; he had to say as he stifled a yawn. He had been dragged along to keep a watchful eye over the Institute's latest ward. He had assumed it would be a simple job, tagging the kid to catch a movie or maybe getting a couple of beers down at Grier's pub.

Of course, the boy had chosen the most dangerous option –a date with Petit. If the Wolverine knew about the date with de chat, ol' Pyro would be sitting in the infirmary or worse. Remy mentally shivered at Wolverine's not-so-pleasant chat involving slicing and dicing and an important part of Remy's anatomy. Non, Remy best follow Wolverine's rules for now.

The evening had progressed fast and he had been able to slip into the club unnoticed by his target or the other students.

* * *

He had no idea why he had asked her out. Maybe it was the way her eyes sparkled or the cute little dimple that flashed whenever she granted him a genuine dazzling smile but he found himself wanting her to smile more. His hands reached into his back pocket where his lighter... was no longer.

His fingers twitched as a scowl appeared on his face. That night in town had been a one-off. Storm, Hank and his parole officer had worked together to allow him off campus that evening. He later deduced that his appearance had been the reason why Wolverine had been elected chaperone that night. To ask for his lighter back, John would be pushing his luck and showing how ungrateful he was for the small reprieve.

There was a knock on the door before Storm glided in with Hank and Briggs, his parole officer, in tow. John shifted in the seat as the adults settled round the table. He closed his eyes briefly, remembering his teachings from Magneto's camp, before allowing himself to return to his present surroundings – which frankly he could care less about except for Kitty.

He had felt rather heard the presence that leaned against the hollow tree a few steps away from him. John allowed another moment of silence before breaking it.

"Storm sent you."

There was a snort. "'Ro doesn't need anyone to do her work."

An uncomfortable silence was followed up by Wolverine's real intention. "Why are you here, John?"

John felt a sense of déjà vu with the question. He watched Wolverine's face but it remained expressionless, John was sure his was as well.

"I think that's obvious," John said tugging lightly at denim-clad right ankle to reveal the tracker.

There was another snort as soon as he said that as Wolverine lit up one of his trademark cigars. A couple of puffs later, Wolverine spoke, "Both you and I know that ain't true, matchstick," John bristled at that nickname, "Yer a resourceful kid, you would have scattered long ago."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"That's a load of bull. You can fool 'Ro or Hank or that fool, Briggs, but I know better. Kitty belongs here than wherever you're planning to run off to. She's a good gal, Pyro, and I won't let mar her memory with a wanted poster."

John felt annoyed. "Do you think so lowly of her? She'll be fine wherever she goes."

Wolverine puffed on his cigar once more, his face looking a little haggard. "That's where your mistake is in whatever plan you have. She hasn't lived through a war. You may have survived but that was mostly Mags' doing, not yours. Why do you think she's still here while you left?"

The retort that was on the tip of John's tongue died. Wolverine was right. She had confidence in her mutant abilities and never let others beat her down for its perceived uselessness, unlike him. He glared at Wolverine, wishing that the man had been wrong.

* * *

His relationship with Marie was probably weeks or even days away from dying, that much Bobby was sure and he wasn't sure if he really cared. He buried his head further into his pillow. The last two weeks were unbearable. He had to agonize between watching Marie pretend not to salivate over the New Orleans resident at the Institute while taking care not to set her off about nearly everything. He didn't sign up for that.

His alarm bleeped and he reluctantly rolled out of bed. The bad thing about being revealed as a mutant was the disruption in his education. No university would take him in with the country was mostly afraid of and rejecting the idea of mutants alongside humans and his parents had more or less disowned him which meant he was stuck in Mutant Manor for who knows how long.

Christmas break was almost upon them. He had spent the last few days chauffeuring kids to the local airport or the train station which he was slightly grateful for the long drives back to the Institute and thinking time it afforded him.

Kitty may have gotten over the little episode but she wasn't interested in hanging out with him unless it was in a group and when Marie was around. Lorna had mentioned that Kitty and Marie had suddenly become friends and apparently they had talked about the Bobby-and-Kitty fling or whatever the residents had labelled it.

Obviously Kitty had not revealed about their almost kiss or he would have an inconsolable Marie to deal with and a smug Gambit hovering nearby once she decided on a period of time to be angry at Bobby.

"Bobby, you awake?" There was an impatient knock on the door.

Throwing on a sweatshirt, he called the person in. Marie stepped in, clad in a dark sweater and jeans, looking at him demurely.

"Ah'm leaving in a coupla hours. I thought Ah'd leave your present with you first." She held out a rectangular shaped, gift wrapped box.

Bobby thanked her as he scrambled to find Marie's present in the mess that was his room. He flushed when he pulled it out behind a stack of CDs and unwashed clothes in his closet. "Here," He handed hers with a slight flourish and the right amount of sheepishness, "The wrapping tore so I replaced it. Sorry."

Marie's eyes softened as she took her gift, her fingers running over the brown wrapping paper that had been hastily taped over a corner of the package before placing it down on his desk.

"I love you Bobby," She murmured as she wrapped her arms around him.


End file.
